Okay, Let’s Talk About This Chicken…
Right, gather round folks, because I need to tell you about this absolute lifesaver of a recipe. My mum used to make something like this, maybe? Honestly the details are fuzzy, probably because the whole point is you stick it in the oven and kinda… forget about it. Hence the name, I guess! I rediscovered this gem a few years back when I was juggling way too much stuff and needed dinner that basically cooked itself. And let me tell you, this ‘Amazing Forgotten Chicken’ thing? It’s become a proper staple in my house. It’s the kind of recipe you scribble down on a napkin and pass onto friends, you know?
Why You’ll Be Obsessed Too
Okay, honestly? I make this when I just *cannot* be bothered. Seriously. Long day? Forgotten Chicken. Feeling a bit under the weather? Forgotten Chicken. Kids driving you bonkers? You get the idea. My family actually cheers when they smell this cooking (which is wild, considering how little effort it takes!). It’s pure comfort food, creamy, savoury, and the chicken gets ridiculously tender. Plus, the cleanup is minimal – usually just the one baking dish. What’s not to love? (Okay, maybe the waiting while it cooks, that torture is real sometimes!). It’s just dead easy.
What You’ll Need (Give or Take)
- Chicken: About 4 decent sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Or! Use chicken thighs, maybe 6-8? Honestly, thighs are my secret weapon here; they stay even juicier. But breasts work great too.
- Rice: 1 cup of uncooked long grain white rice. Like Uncle Ben’s or similar. Please don’t use instant rice, it’ll turn to mush. And definitely don’t use brown rice unless you fancy adjusting cook times and liquid – more on that later!
- Cream of *Something* Soup: One standard can (like 10.5 oz or around 300g) of condensed cream of mushroom soup. Campbell’s is classic, right? But cream of chicken or cream of celery work just as well. I sometimes use one mushroom, one chicken if I’m feeling fancy.
- Water: 1 can full of water (just use the empty soup can to measure, see? Easy!). Some folks use chicken broth for extra flavour, which is lovely, but water is totally fine.
- Onion Soup Mix: One packet of dry onion soup mix. Lipton is the go to, obviously. My nan swore by it. You *could* make your own blend with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika… but the packet is just so convenient. You can find it pretty much anywhere, like here on Walmart.
- Optional extras: A handful of sliced mushrooms chucked in? Nice. Some frozen peas stirred in near the end? Go for it. A sprinkle of paprika on top for colour? Why not.
How to Make the Magic Happen
- Prep the Dish: Grab a baking dish, something like a 9×13 inch works perfectly. You *can* lightly grease it, but honestly with the sauce, I often don’t bother. Laziness wins again.
- Dump and Spread: Pour the uncooked rice evenly across the bottom of the dish. Try and get it level-ish.
- Soup Time: In a separate bowl (ugh, another dish, sorry! Or just do it carefully in the baking dish if you’re brave), mix the condensed soup, the can of water, and the packet of onion soup mix. Stir it until it’s mostly combined. Don’t worry if it looks a bit lumpy or unappetizing right now – trust the process!
- Pour it Over: Carefully pour the soup mixture over the rice. Try to cover the rice as evenly as you can.
- Chicken Placement: Nestle the chicken pieces right on top of the soup/rice mixture. Just plonk ’em down. You can season the chicken *itself* with a little salt and pepper here if you like, but the soup mix is pretty flavourful already.
- Cover Tightly!: This is important. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Like, really seal the edges. You want to trap all that steam in there to cook the rice and keep the chicken moist. This is where I usually double check the seal.
- The Forgetting Part: Pop it into a preheated oven at 350°F (that’s about 175°C). Now? Go away. Seriously. Set a timer for 1 hour and 30 minutes (90 minutes total) and *forget* about it. Don’t peek! Every time you peek, steam escapes, and it might mess things up.
- The Reveal: After 90 minutes, carefully remove the foil (watch out for steam!). The rice should be cooked, the sauce bubbly, and the chicken cooked through. I usually poke the thickest part of the chicken with a fork just to be sure it’s done – juices should run clear. Sometimes I sneak a taste of the rice here… quality control, right?
- Rest Up: Let it sit for maybe 5-10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken up just a tiny bit more and makes it easier to serve.
A Few Little Notes From My Kitchen
- Seriously, don’t peek while it’s cooking. I know it’s tempting. Resist!
- If, after 90 minutes, the rice still looks a bit too wet or hard, just pop the foil back on and give it another 10-15 minutes. Ovens vary!
- Letting it rest is key. It really does make the texture better, I promise.
- This dish is VERY forgiving. Don’t stress too much about exact measurements form the soup can water.
Fun Twists I’ve Tried (Some Better Than Others)
- Mushroom Mania: Added a whole punnet of sliced fresh mushrooms on top of the soup mixture before adding the chicken. Delicious success!
- Broccoli Boost: Stirred in some frozen broccoli florets for the last 20 minutes of cooking (took the foil off, stirred them in, put foil back on). Worked pretty well, adds some green!
- Cheesy Does It… Not: Okay, I once tried mixing shredded cheddar cheese into the soup mixture. It wasn’t… terrible? But the texture went a bit weirdly claggy. Maybe just melting some on top *after* cooking would be better. Haven’t tried that yet!
What You’ll Need Tool Wise
Honestly, not much. A 9×13 inch baking dish is pretty standard – glass or ceramic is perfect. Like a classic Pyrex is grand. But really, any oven safe dish that holds everything without overflowing will probably work, you might just need to adjust cooking time slightly if it’s much deeper or shallower. You definitely need aluminum foil though, that tight seal is crucial. Oh, and a bowl for mixing the soup, unless you’re a daredevil and mix it right in the baking dish.
My favourite casserole dish, by the way, is this old ceramic one I found at a charity shop. It’s chipped and probably older than me, but it heats so evenly. They just don’t make them like they used to, eh?
Storing the Leftovers (If Any!)
Pop any leftovers into an airtight container and stick it in the fridge. It’ll keep nicely for 2-3 days. Reheats beautifully in the microwave, though honestly, in my house it rarely lasts more than a day! I sometimes think it tastes even better the next day, the flavours get a chance to meld even more. You *can* freeze it, but I find the rice texture can sometimes get a little bit watery on thawing/reheating. Still perfectly edible though!
How We Eat It
We usually just serve this straight from the dish with something green on the side – steamed broccoli, green beans, or just a simple side salad. It’s pretty much a complete meal in one dish, which is part of its charm! Sometimes I make garlic bread if I’m feeling extra energetic (which kind of defeats the ‘forgotten’ easy vibe, but hey).
Things I Learned the Hard Way (Pro Tips!)
- Don’t Rush the Cook Time: I once tried pulling it out after only 75 minutes because I was starving. Big mistake. The rice was crunchy in the middle. Patience is a virtue, especially with this recipe!
- Use the Right Rice: Seriously, stick to long grain white rice. I tried basmati once because it’s what I had, and while it *worked*, the texture wasn’t quite right, a bit softer than ideal. And instant rice? Just no.
- Foil is Your Friend: Make sure that foil is TIGHT. If it’s loose, too much steam escapes, the rice won’t cook properly, and the chicken might dry out. Crimp those edges!
Quick Questions Answered (Probably!)
- Can I use brown rice?
- You *can*, but you’ll definitely need to adjust. Brown rice takes much longer to cook and usually needs more liquid. You’d probably need to add at least another 1/2 cup of water/broth and cook for closer to 2 hours. It changes the whole ‘forgotten’ vibe a bit, requires more thought!
- Is it really okay the rice isn’t cooked first?
- Yep! Absolutely. That’s the magic! The liquid from the soup and water, trapped by the foil, steams the rice perfectly while everything bakes together. It sounds weird, but it works a treat.
- Help! My sauce seems watery?
- Okay, first, did you let it rest for 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven? That helps it thicken. Also, did you use *condensed* soup? If you used a ready to eat soup, it would be too thin. Lastly, maybe your chicken released a lot of water? If it’s really soupy, you could try carefully draining a little liquid off, or just serve it with a spoon! It’ll still taste great.
- Can I skip the onion soup mix?
- You could, but you’d lose a LOT of the flavour. That packet does heavy lifting! You’d need to add a good amount of your own seasonings – salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, maybe some dried herbs like thyme or parsley. It wouldn’t quite be the classic ‘Forgotten Chicken’ taste though.
simo
Med